October 5 – While the failure of Iranian FA officials to be granted US visas to attend the World Cup draw made headlines last week, the State Department was announcing that it will increase staffing at a number of US embassies and consulates to cope with the extra demand expected in applications to enter the country for World Cup matches.
The State Department said last Thursday that it will send hundreds of additional consular officers to “designated countries”. Their primary task will be to handle the demand for visa interviews.
Fans travelling to the US from countries that are part of the US Visa Waiver Program are unlikely to require an interview. Fans from countries not enrolled in the program and who do not hold valid tourist or business visas will need to apply.
The application process will likely require an in-person interview and ‘enhanced security screening’ that will include looking at the applicants social media accounts and any public statements they have made.
The State Department said it “is prepared to meet the demand while maintaining rigorous vetting requirements”, and that visa interviews can be scheduled within two months or less.
No list of countries where additional staff will be deployed has been released, though not all of the countries have qualified for the 48-team finals.
The US currently has a complete travel ban on 12 countries – Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan. Only Iran have qualified for the World Cup in 2026, though Congo and Haiti are still in with a chance of qualification.
A further seven countries have partially suspending visa issuance – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela – none of them are in 2026 qualifying positions.
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